On the Fairways with Bill Tait

Bill Tait

Published:06:55Wednesday 29 October 2014

Well the weather is certainly warning us that winter is on its way, but we cannot grumble after the excellent golfing weather we have had this summer.

The golf season is winding down but there are a few faithful golfers struggling around the course endeavouring to hold their game together for the one or two good days that we are often treated to even in the winter time.

However the weather over the weekend was not conducive to playing golf and only one score was returned in the Saturday medal at Turnberry and that was by Adam Boyd.(12)77 very good in the circumstances

The weather for the Turnberry Sunday medal of the 12th. October was a little better with Martin Pitman winning on (5)69 followed by Campbell Devlin (9)73, Alan Connor (3)76 and Tom Bennett (6)77..

The Girvan Ladies hold their annual dinner and presentation of prizes this coming Friday 31st. October and even if you have not won a prize the meal is well worth turning up for, plus the patter will be good.

The gentlemen of Girvan Golf Club will be holding their annual dinner and presentation of prizes on Saturday 1st. November at 7pm. A menu is on the Club notice board for those wishing to attend to record their names on and to choose what delicacies they would like to sample from the excellent chefs in Maggie’s Pantry. If you have won a prize and have a pleasant smile, then you will be welcome to be included in the photograph of prize winners which will appear in next week’s Gazette. Club Captain Jason Roberts will no doubt have an apt turn of phrase in his after dinner speech to keep everyone amused, so do not miss it.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

‘Golf, a game in which a ball 1 ½ inches in diameter is placed on a ball eight thousand miles in diameter. The object is to hit the small ball and not the larger.’ An American author surveying the Ryder Cup scene.

A golfer who was learning the game once mentioned that ‘The reason a professional tells you to keep your head down is so that you cannot see him laughing.’ Now there you are as that is the real reason why you are always told to keep your head still and look at the ball, mind you it does improve your game at the same time.

TALES FROM THE CADDYSHACK

Well, the good news on the Ayr United front was when we beat Morton for the second time this season, but that is spoiled by the bad news when we lost to Brechin on Saturday playing the worst football I have ever seen Ayr play. It looked as if the Ayr players had never met before let alone played football together as a team. Let us hope that they are better this coming Saturday.

Well with all the presentation of prizes taking place you will appreciate that the golfing season is winding down.

A lot of golfers attention will be drawn to thoughts of Christmas and what Santa Claus may be putting in their stocking. I will keep an eye on the market and report on any golfing trivia which may be of interest. I say trivia as I am sure that golfing spouses etc. will not wish to finance a new driver let alone a putter or heaven forbid a new set of clubs at today’s prices.

I was recently loaned three DVDs (black & white) covering golf lessons by

the incomparable Bobby Jones. I have only started viewing them and found Bobby’s swing very flat and unorthodox, not one I would wish to emulate.

However who am I to criticise, as the swing worked well for Bobby Jones and provided him with a lot of championships giving him virtual immortality. I will pass on his tips to you

as I go through the lessons but it is amazing the control he managed to put on a Haskell ball with hickory shafted clubs, equipment which you will appreciate is far behind that which we use today.

I would mention that every time Bobby Jones putted, the ball went unerringly into the hole despite putting on greens which looked more like the tees we use today. I must study his technique as my putting is a hit or miss affair and leaves a lot to be desired.

Here is an interesting fact for you to ponder over, did you know that Robert Ferguson lost the 1883 Open to Willie Fernie in the extra holes thereby .falling one short of Tom Morris’s record of four consecutive titles. The money in those days was not much and Ferguson later in life ended up penniless working out of the Musselburgh caddyshack. Willie Fernie had a hand in designing both the Girvan and Turnberry courses which would have brought in some funds but nothing to compare with what he would have received in today’s terms..

Just remember how fortunate you are to be picking up the occasional winnings and to do that regularly requires a slow methodical swing.